God Gave Them Up

Passage: Romans 1:24-32

As is our custom here at First Church we are preaching through a book of the Bible, Paul’s letter to the Christians in the church in Rome.

Paul wrote he is eager to come to Rome to preach the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He says this even knowing the kind of reception he has had and will have in Rome, but he is undaunted.  He is eager to preach.

Why is he eager to preach?  Two reasons, because of two revelations from God.  First, because God has revealed His righteousness in the Gospel which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who hears and believes. Second, because the wrath of God is being revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and the Gospel is the only defense against the wrath of God.

Why has the wrath of God been revealed?  What has stirred up the just and righteous wrath of God?  Two things, ungodliness toward God and the unrighteousness of men.  The vertical response to God and the horizontal response among men.

Regarding ungodliness, Paul says everyone knows there is a God with invisible attributes, with eternal power and divine nature, but they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.  They did not honor God or give thanks to Him or worship Him as they all should.

Regarding unrighteousness, Paul says they also exchanged the glory of the immortal, incorruptible God for images of mortal, corruptible creatures, men, birds, and animals and the lowest of reptiles and worms.  Notice the downward spiral.

Remember the first three chapters of Romans show us our need for the Gospel, our need for the grace of forgiveness.  Chapter one forces on the Gentiles, chapter two focuses on the Jews, chapter three on everyone, all of us.

Verses 1:18-23 answer the question why does God pour out His just wrath on mankind, for their ungodliness and unrighteousness, for exchanging the truth for a lie, and worshiping creatures rather than the Creator in whose image we are made.

In the light of all of this we come to this big “therefore” or three “therefores.”  Paul now answers how God’s wrath is revealed.  He uses the same phrase three times, “God gave them up.”

Is there a more relevant passage in the Bible for our time and place in culture?  Can there be a passage of Scripture more clearly needed for today?